el dorado-第19节

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At　last　she　promised　him　that　she　would　take　the　advice　of　his
chief；　they　would　both　be　guided　by　what　he　said。　　Armand　would
confide　in　him　to…night；　and　if　it　could　be　arranged　she　would
hurry　on　her　preparations　and；　mayhap；　be　ready　to　join　him　in　a
week。

〃In　the　meanwhile；　that　cruel　man　must　not　risk　your　dear　life；〃
she　said。　　〃Remember；　Armand；　your　life　belongs　to　me。　　Oh；　I
could　hate　him　for　the　love　you　bear　him！〃

〃Shshsh！〃　he　said　earnestly。　　〃Dear　heart；　you　must　not　speak
like　that　of　the　man　whom；　next　to　your　perfect　self；　I　love　most
upon　earth。〃

〃You　think　of　him　more　than　of　me。　　I　shall　scarce　live　until　I
know　that　you　are　safely　out　of　Paris。〃

Though　it　was　horrible　to　part；　yet　it　was　best；　perhaps；　that　he
should　go　back　to　his　lodgings　now；　in　case　Heron　sent　his　spies
back　to　her　door；　and　since　he　meant　to　consult　with　his　chief。
She　had　a　vague　hope　that　if　the　mysterious　hero　was　indeed　the
noble…hearted　man　whom　Armand　represented　him　to　be；　surely　he
would　take　compassion　on　the　anxiety　of　a　sorrowing　woman；　and
release　the　man　she　loved　from　bondage。

This　thought　pleased　her　and　gave　her　hope。　　She　even　urged　Armand
now　to　go。

〃When　may　I　see　you　to…morrow？〃　he　asked。

〃But　it　will　be　so　dangerous　to　meet；〃　she　argued。

〃I　must　see　you。　　I　could　not　live　through　the　day　without　seeing
you。〃

〃The　theatre　is　the　safest　place。〃

〃I　could　not　wait　till　the　evening。　　May　I　not　come　here？〃

〃No；　no。　　Heron's　spies　may　be　about。〃

〃Where　then？〃

She　thought　it　over　for　a　moment。

〃At　the　stage…door　of　the　theatre　at　one　o'clock；〃she　said　at
last。　　〃We　shall　have　finished　rehearsal。　　Slip　into　the　guichet
of　the　concierge。　I　will　tell　him　to　admit　you；　and　send　my
dresser　to　meet　you　there；　she　will　bring　you　along　to　my　room；
where　we　shall　be　undisturbed　for　at　least　half　an　hour。〃

He　had　perforce　to　be　content　with　that；　though　he　would　so　much
rather　have　seen　her　here　again；　where　the　faded　tapestries　and
soft…toned　hangings　made　such　a　perfect　background　for　her
delicate　charm。　　He　had　every　intention　of　confiding　in　Blakeney；
and　of　asking　his　help　for　getting　Jeanne　out　of　Paris　as　quickly
as　may　be。

Thus　this　perfect　hour　was　past；　the　most　pure；　the　fullest　of　joy
that　these　two　young　people　were　ever　destined　to　know。　　Perhaps
they　felt　within　themselves　the　consciousness　that　their　great
love　would　rise　anon　to　yet　greater；　fuller　perfection　when　Fate
had　crowned　it　with　his　halo　of　sorrow。　　Perhaps；　too；　it　was　that
consciousness　that　gave　to　their　kisses　now　the　solemnity　of　a
last　farewell。



CHAPTER　XI
THE　LEAGUE　OF　THE　SCARLET　PIMPERNEL

Armand　never　could　say　definitely　afterwards　whither　he　went　when
he　left　the　Square　du　Roule　that　evening。　　No　doubt　he　wandered
about　the　streets　for　some　time　in　an　absent；　mechanical　way；
paying　no　heed　to　the　passers…by；　none　to　the　direction　in　which
he　was　going。

His　mind　was　full　of　Jeanne；　her　beauty；　her　courage；　her　attitude
in　face　of　the　hideous　bloodhound　who　had　come　to　pollute　that
charming　old…world　boudoir　by　his　loathsome　presence。　　He　recalled
every　word　she　uttered；　every　gesture　she　made。

He　was　a　man　in　love　for　the　first　timewholly；　irremediably　in
love。

I　suppose　that　it　was　the　pangs　of　hunger　that　first　recalled　him
to　himself。　　It　was　close　on　eight　o'clock　now；　and　he　had　fed　on
his　imaginingsfirst　on　anticipation；　then　on　realisation；　and
lastly　on　memoryduring　the　best　part　of　the　day。　　Now　he　awoke
from　his　day…dream　to　find　himself　tired　and　hungry；　hut
fortunately　not　very　far　from　that　quarter　of　Paris　where　food　is
easily　obtainable。

He　was　somewhere　near　the　Madeleinea　quarter　he　knew　well。　　Soon
he　saw　in　front　of　him　a　small　eating…house　which　looked　fairly
clean　and　orderly。　　He　pushed　open　its　swing…door；　and　seeing　an
empty　table　in　a　secluded　part　of　the　room；　he　sat　down　and
ordered　some　supper。

The　place　made　no　impression　upon　his　memory。　　He　could　not　have
told　you　an　hour　later　where　it　was　situated；　who　had　served　him；
what　he　had　eaten；　or　what　other　persons　were　present　in　the
dining…room　at　the　time　that　he　himself　entered　it。

Having　eaten；　however；　he　felt　more　like　his　normal　selfmore
conscious　of　his　actions。　　When　he　finally　left　the　eating…house；
he　realised；　for　instance；　that　it　was　very　colda　fact　of　which
he　had　for　the　past　few　hours　been　totally　unaware。　　The　snow　was
falling　in　thin　close　flakes；　and　a　biting　north…easterly　wind　was
blowing　those　flakes　into　his　face　and　down　his　collar。　　He
wrapped　his　cloak　tightly　around　him。　　It　was　a　good　step　yet　to
Blakeney's　lodgings；　where　he　knew　that　he　was　expected。

He　struck　quickly　into　the　Rue　St。　Honore；　avoiding　the　great　open
places　where　the　grim　horrors　of　this　magnificent　city　in　revolt
against　civilisation　were　displayed　in　all　their　grim
nakednesson　the　Place　de　la　Revolution　the　guillotine；　on　the
Carrousel　the　open…air　camps　of　workers　under　the　lash　of
slave…drivers　more　cruel　than　the　uncivilised　brutes　of　the　Far
West。

And　Armand　had　to　think　of　Jeanne　in　the　midst　of　all　these
horrors。　　She　was　still　a　petted　actress　to…day；　but　who　could
tell　if　on　the　morrow　the　terrible　law　of　the　〃suspect〃　would　not
reach　her　in　order　to　drag　her　before　a　tribunal　that　knew　no
mercy；　and　whose　sole　justice　was　a　condemnation？

The　young　man　hurried　on；　he　was　anxious　to　be　among　his　own
comrades；　to　hear　his　chief's　pleasant　voice；　to　feel　assured　that
by　all　the　sacred　laws　of　friendship　Jeanne　henceforth　would
become　the　special　care　of　the　Scarlet　Pimpernel　and　his　league。

Blakeney　lodged　in　a　small　house　situated　on　the　Quai　de　l'Ecole；
at　the　back　of　St。　Germain　l'Auxerrois；　from　whence　he　had　a　clear
and　uninterrupted　view　across　the　river；　as　far　as　the　irregular
block　of　buildings　of　the　Chatelet　prison　and　the　house　of
Justice。

The　same　tower…clock　that　two　centuries　ago　had　tolled　the　signal
for　the　massacre　of　the　Huguenots　was　even　now　striking　nine。
Armand　slipped　through　the　half…open　porte　cochere；　crossed　the
narrow　dark　courtyard；　and　ran　up　two　flights　of　winding　stone
stairs。　　At　the　top　of　these；　a　door　on　his　right　allowed　a　thin
streak　of　light　to　filtrate　between　its　two　folds。　　An　iron　bell
handle　hung　beside　it；　Armand　gave　it　a　pull。

Two　minutes　later　he　was　amongst　his　friends。　　He　heaved　a　great
sigh　of　content　and　relief。　　The　very　atmosphere　here　seemed　to　be
different。　　As　far　as　the　lodging　itself　was　concerned；　it　was　as
bare；　as　devoid　of　comfort　as　those　sort　of　placesso…called
chambres　garniesusually　were　in　these　days。　　The　chairs　looked
rickety　and　uninviting；　the　sofa　was　of　black　horsehair；　the
carpet　was　threadbare；　and　in　places　in　actual　holes；　but　there
was　a　certain　something　in　the　air　which　revealed；　in　the　midst　of
all　this　squalor；　the　presence　of　a　man　of　fastidious　taste。

To　begin　with；　the　place　was　spotlessly　clean；　the　stove；　highly
polished；　gave　forth　a　pleasing　warm　glow；　even　whilst　the　window；
slightly　open；　allowed　a　modicum　of　fresh　air　to　enter　the　room。
In　a　rough　earthenware　jug　on　the　table　stood　a　large　bunch　of
Christmas　roses；　and　to　the　educated　nostril　the　slight　scent　of
perfumes　that　hovered　in　the　air　was　doubly　pleasing　after　the
fetid　air　of　the　narrow　streets。

Sir　Andrew　Ffoulkes　was　there；　also　my　Lord　Tony；　and　Lord
Hastings。　　They　greeted　Armand　with　whole…hearted　cheeriness。

〃Where　is　Blakeney？〃　asked　the　young　man　as　soon　as　he　had　shaken
his　friends　by　the　hand。

〃Present！〃　came　in　loud；　pleasant　accents　from　the　door　of　an
inner　room　on　the　right。

And　there　he　stood　under　the　lintel　of　the　door；　the　man　against
whom　was　raised　the　giant　hand　of　an　entire　nationthe　man　for
whose　head　the　revolutionary　government　of　France　would　gladly　pay
out　all　the　savings　of　its　Treasurythe　man　whom　human
bloodhounds　were　tracking；　hot　on　the　scentfor　whom　the　nets　of
a　bitter　revenge　and　relentless　reprisals　were　constantly　being
spread。

Was　he　unconscious　of　it；　or　merely　careless？　His　closest　friend；
Sir　Andrew　Ffoulkes；　could　not　say。　　Certain　it　is　that；　as　he　now
appeared　before　Armand；　picturesque　as　ever　in　perfectly　tailored
clothes；　with　priceless　lace　at　throat　and　wrists；　his　slender
fingers　holding　an　enamelled　snuff…box　and　a　handkerchief　of
delicate　cambric；　his　whole　personality　that　of　a　dandy　rather
than　a　man　of　action；　it　seemed　impossible　to　connect　him　with　the
foolhardy　escapades　which　had　set　one　nation　glowing　with
enthusiasm　and　another　clamouring　for　revenge。

But　it　was　the　magnetism　that　emanated　from　him　that　could　not　be
denied；　the　light　that　now　and　then；　swift　as　summer　lightning；
flashed　out　from　the　depths　of　the　blue　eyes　usually　veiled　by
heavy；　lazy　lids；　the　sudden　tightening　of　firm　lips；　the　setting
of　the　square　jaw；　which　in　a　momentbut　only　for　the　space　of　a
secondtransformed　the　entire　face；　and　revealed　the　born　leader
of　men。

Just　now　there　was　none　of　that　in　the　debonnair；　easy…going　man
of　the　world　who　advanced　to　meet　his　friend。　Armand　went　quickly
up　to　him；　glad　to　grasp　his　hand；　slightly　troubled　with